"The Dixie Platoon" - 2nd Platoon, Heavy Mortar Company

[Championhilz]

I recently picked up this cool little photo showing an unidentified sergeant posing next to a sign for "The Dixie Platoon, 2nd Platoon, Heavy Mortar Company." The seller had it listed as circa 1944, but to me it looks more like Korean War era. Can anyone hazard a guess as to when the picture was taken?

[hbtcoveralls]

Leaning toward Korea late probably 53-54. Only reason I say that is the combat patch and the terrain which resembles Korea. Combat patch might be 37th division. Nice photo.

Tom Bowers

[craig_pickrall]

He has on the green combat leader tabs too. During WW2 EM's wore a green strip under their chevrons, only officers wore them on the shoulder loops. It has to be Korea.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

I agree with Korean War-era. Looks like a similar crap-hole I was in, in Korea in 1960, without the dinks shooting at us. Danny

[patches]

That patch must be this one here.

 

 

The unit crests, HMM, 31st Inf?

 

 

Or maybe the 21st Inf?

 

[RustyCanteen]

I agree, KW era.

 

Is that an M-37 in the background?

[Ronnie]

No I believe it's a WC51 or something similar.

RD

[hbtcoveralls]

WC 51 or possibly a WC-64 Ambulance it's kinda far away. The WC series is what was used in Korea, the M-37 didn't make it there in numbers until later on.

Tom Bowers

[jgawne]

CIB for heavy mortars? I can only assume Heavy Mortars means 4.2's. I thnk there may have been a time when there such units assigned directly to an infantry unit during the KW, but would have to go look it up.

[hbtcoveralls]

CIB for heavy mortars? I can only assume Heavy Mortars means 4.2's. I thnk there may have been a time when there such units assigned directly to an infantry unit during the KW, but would have to go look it up.

Jon,

the guy's a master Sgt with combat patch so the CIB probably dates to the WWII era and he's a retread.

Tom Bowers

[patches]

After the disbanding of the Chemical Mortar Battalions in October 1952 by the Army, the Infantry were assigned these weapons, they remained in the Infantry at least when I was in in the early 80s, here they were assigned to the Combat Support Company of Infantry Battalions, were they formed a Platoon, I believe this started when the ROAD concept were first implemented in 62-63, prior to this these Four Deuces were in the heavy weapons companies of a Regiment and the later Battle Groups. The one in Korea was the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, it seen alot of Combat, having the hard luck of being attached to the 8th Cavalry at Unsan in October and later in December to the 9th Infantry at Kunu-Ri, both fatal battles, in both cases the 2nd Chem Mortar Bn suffering very heavy losses along with the units they were attached to.

 

The 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion was disbanded as a result of Soviet accusations at the UN given by one Jakob Malick, the Soviet delegate to the UN, who accused the U.S. of using chemical warfare.

[patches]

Forgot to add that the 2nd Chem Mortar Battalion while being disbanded was actually redesignated as the 461st Infantry Battalion (Heavy Mortar) the date being January 1953, note the absence of any referrence to Chemical, that October 1952 date may have been the date to disestablish these type of units, and not reactivate any of them again. The only unit I found so far in operation in the whole Army during this period was the 2nd Chem Mortar Battalion, were there seperate Chemical Mortar Companies somewhere in the Army? As mentioned the Heavy Mortar Companies were a Regimental level company during the Korean War and after till around 1957, not sure when they started to receive the 4.2 mortar, late 1940s? just before the Korean War began in early 1950?

[Page-Hendryx]

Any time you see "Heavy Mortar Company" (in the context of a war), it's Korea.

[sgtdorango]

Great photo!.......mike

[patches]

Lets post a Enlarged view of the Mortarman in Question. His DIs now seem to be the 31st Infantry Polar Bears.